When marking MOB location, what should you maintain after throwing a flotation device?

• A. Keep the person in sight and note bearing and distance.
• B. Move away to search elsewhere.
• C. Wait for a rescue boat to arrive without tracking.
• D. Retrieve the device immediately.

Answer: (A)

When a flotation device is thrown in a man overboard situation, the priority is to keep the person in sight and continuously note their bearing and distance from you. This approach gives you a live reference to the casualty’s exact location as wind, waves, and current push them and the device away. With the person visible and your bearing and distance tracked, you can steer back to them, keep others informed about their position, and guide a rescue vessel to the right spot. If you move off to search elsewhere, you lose your visual anchor and the precise location needed for a quick recovery. Waiting for a rescue boat without tracking means you won’t know where to direct them or how the person is moving. Retrieving the device immediately can break visual contact and miss drift cues, which are crucial in rough conditions. Keeping the person in view and logging bearing and distance provides the essential situational awareness to execute a safe and timely rescue.